Objective To investigate the effects of temporal lobe epilepsy and idiopathic epilepsy on cognitive function and emotion in children and the risk factors for cognitive impairment. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 38 children with temporal lobe epilepsy and 40 children with idiopathic epilepsy. The controls were 42 healthy children. All subjects received the following neuropsychological tests: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale, verbal fluency test, digit span test, block design test, Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC), and Depression Self-rating Scale for Children (DSRSC). Results Compared with the control group, the temporal lobe epilepsy and idiopathic epilepsy groups showed significantly lower scores of MoCA, verbal fluency, digit span, and block design (P<0.05) and significantly higher scores on SASC and DSRSC (P<0.05). Compared with the idiopathic epilepsy group, the temporal lobe epilepsy group showed significantly lower scores of MoCA, verbal fluency, digit span, and block design (P<0.05) and significantly higher scores on SASC and DSRSC (P<0.05). In the temporal lobe epilepsy group, MoCA score was negatively correlated with SASC score, DSRSC score, and seizure frequency (r=-0.571, -0.529, and -0.545 respectively; P<0.01). In the idiopathic epilepsy group, MoCA score was also negatively correlated with SASC score, DSRSC score, and seizure frequency (r=-0.542, -0.487, and -0.555 respectively; P<0.01). Conclusions Children with temporal lobe epilepsy and idiopathic epilepsy show impaired whole cognition, verbal fluency, memory, and executive function and have anxiety and depression, which are more significant in children with temporal lobe epilepsy. High levels of anxiety, depression, and seizure frequency are risk factors for impaired cognitive function.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of attention in school-age children with mild autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to provide a basis for clinical treatment. Methods A total of 20 school-age children with mild ASD were enrolled, and the intermediate visual and auditory continuous performance test (IVA-CPT) was used to assess their attention. A total of 20 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 40 healthy children were enrolled as controls. Results Compared with the normal control group, the ASD group showed significantly lower scores of full scale attention quotient, full scale response control quotient, visual/auditory full scale response control quotient, visual/auditory prudence quotient, auditory perseverance quotient, visual consistency quotient, visual/ auditory vigilance quotient, visual attention quotient, visual speed quotient, number of correct visual/auditory reactions, and visual mean reaction time of the second and third phases (P<0.05). Compared with the ADHD group, the ASD group showed significantly higher scores of full scale response control quotient and auditory consistency quotient (P<0.05), as well as significantly lower scores of visual vigilance quotient and visual speed quotient (P<0.05). Conclusions Schoolage children with mild ASD have attention deficit mainly manifested as the defect in the ability to focus attention, which is similar to the defect in children with ADHD, but ASD children have a lower degree of attention control impairment compared with children with ADHD. The defect in the ability to focus visual attention is more severe than that in the ability to focus auditory attention, while there is no significant difference between the defects in visual and auditory attention control.

Objective To study the change in serum intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP) in children with pneumonia and its correlation with gastrointestinal injury. Methods A total of 82 children with community-acquired pneumonia who were treated from January to October, 2015 were enrolled, among whom 34 had mild pneumonia and 48 had severe pneumonia. According to pediatric critical illness score (PCIS), the children with severe pneumonia were further divided into non-critical group (25 patients) and critical group (23 patients). Thirty healthy children who underwent physical examination at outpatient service were enrolled as the control group. ELISA was used to measure serum IFABP level, and the acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) grade was determined for children with severe pneumonia. Serum IFABP level was compared between groups, and the correlations of IFABP with AGI grade and PCIS were analyzed. Results The severe pneumonia group showed a significantly higher serum IFABP level than the control group and the mild pneumonia group (P<0.01), and the mild pneumonia group also showed a significantly higher serum IFABP level than the control group (P<0.01). The critical group showed a significantly higher serum IFABP level than the non-critical group (P<0.01). The patients with grade I-IV AGI had significantly higher serum IFABP levels than the control group (P<0.01), and the serum IFABP level increased significantly with the increasing AGI grade (P<0.01). Serum IFABP level was positively correlated with AGI grade (P<0.01) but negatively correlated with PCIS (P<0.01). Conclusions Children with pneumonia experience an increased serum IFABP level which can be used as a sensitive indicator for the early diagnosis of gastrointestinal injury and the evaluation of conditions in children with pneumonia.

Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP), and Legionella pneumophila (LP) in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI). Methods A total of 13 198 hospitalized children with ARTI were enrolled as study subjects. Whole blood and urine were collected. The passive agglutination was used to detect serum MP-IgM, ELISA was used to detect serum CP-IgM, and immunochromatography was performed to detect urinary LP antigen. Results Among the 13 198 hospitalized ARTI children, the detection rates of MP, CP, and LP were 25.31%, 12.74% and 3.27%, suggesting that MP had the highest detection rate (P<0.0125). The detection rates of MP in 2013 and 2014 were significantly higher than that in 2012 (P<0.0125). CP had the highest detection rate in 2013, and LP had the highest detection rate in 2014 (P<0.0125). These three pathogens were detected all around the year, and MP had the highest detection rate in all seasons (P<0.0125). The detection rate of mixed infection with three pathogens was 4.35%, and mixed infection with MP and CP was the most common (P<0.0071). Among the children in different age groups, the patients aged 5-16 years showed the highest overall detection rate of three pathogens (P<0.0071). Among the children with different types of ARTI, the children with bronchopneumonia showed the highest overall detection rate of three pathogens (P<0.0045). Conclusions MP, CP, and LP, particularly MP, are important pathogens for children with ARTI in the local area. LP infection tends to increase year by year and should be taken seriously in clinical practice.

Objective To study the expression profiles of PI3K, NF-κB, and STAT1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in children with bronchial asthma, as well as their roles in the pathogenesis of asthma. Methods Thirty children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma were enrolled as the asthma group, and 20 healthy children were enrolled as the control group. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of PI3K, NF-κB, and STAT1 in PBMCs. A spirometer was used to compare the pulmonary function between the two groups. The correlations between the mRNA expression of PI3K, NF-κB, and STAT1 and pulmonary function in children with bronchial asthma were analyzed. Results The asthma group had significantly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of PI3K, NF-κB, and STAT1 than the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the asthma group showed significant reductions in pulmonary function indices such as FEV1%, FEV1/FVC, and PEF% (P<0.05). In children with bronchial asthma, the mRNA expression levels of PI3K, NF-κB, and STAT1 were negatively correlated with FEV1%, FEV1/FVC, and PEF% (P<0.05). Conclusions The expression levels of PI3K, NF-κB, and STAT1 increase in children with asthma, and are negatively correlated with pulmonary function indices, suggesting that PI3K, NF-κB and STAT1 are involved in the development and progression of bronchial asthma in children.

Objective To investigate the effect of motivational interviewing combined with peer participation on obesity management in adolescents. Methods A total of 100 adolescents with simple obesity were randomly divided into traditional management and peer participation groups (n=50 each). The traditional management group received traditional health management. The peer participation group received motivational interviewing performed by psychological consultants combined with peer participation through the entire process in addition to traditional health management. The physical exercise, dietary behavior, differences in body composition parameters, and effect of comprehensive intervention were compared between the two groups after intervention for half a year. Results After the health management for six months, the peer participation group showed better improvements in the control of energy intake, adjustment of dietary structure, adherence to moderate/high intensity exercise, and increase in lean body mass compared with the traditional management group (P<0.05). The peer participation group had a significantly higher attendance rate for guidance and counseling performed by a multidisciplinary team once a week than the traditional management group (89% vs 57%; P<0.05), as well as a significantly higher response rate to health management than the traditional management group (83% vs 43%; P<0.05). Conclusions Motivational interviewing combined with peer participation for obesity management can improve the compliance and the effect of comprehensive intervention in losing weight in adolescents.

Objective To study the effect of hyperoxia and paired immunoglobin-like receptor B (PirB) on rat oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in vivo and the neuroprotective effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) on these cells. Methods Rat OPCs were treated with different concentrations of E2 and the cells were harvested for RT-qPCR analysis at different time points. PriB was silenced with small interfering siRNA. The effects of E2 treatment and silencing of PriB on OPCs viability and apoptosis under hyperoxic stimulation were detected using 3-(4,5-dimethylthi-azol-2-yl)-2 ,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry analysis. Results Hyperoxia induced apoptosis in OPCs and decreased their viability. E2 treatment markedly down-regulated the expression of PirB. E2 treatment or PirB silencing markedly decreased hyperoxia-induced apoptosis and increased cell viability in OPCs. Conclusions E2 can protect OPCs from hyperoxia-induced apoptosis.